diff --git a/backend/druks/api/server.py b/backend/druks/api/server.py
index 9b462a04..621ea405 100644
--- a/backend/druks/api/server.py
+++ b/backend/druks/api/server.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     create_async_engine_from_url,
     session_scope,
 )
-from druks.durable.engine import init_dbos, launch, shutdown
+from druks.durable.engine import configure_engine, init_dbos, launch, shutdown
 from druks.durable.exceptions import AgentCallNotFound
 from druks.events.routes import router as events_router
 from druks.exceptions import ObjectNotFound
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ def configure_state(app: FastAPI, settings: Settings) -> None:
     # Bind the ambient (``scoped_session``) factory to this engine so
     # request handlers can use ``db_session()`` without per-call setup.
     configure_session(app.state.engine)
+    # Steps run on the serving loop, so they share the request pool.
+    configure_engine(app.state.engine)
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
diff --git a/backend/druks/database.py b/backend/druks/database.py
index 632d52ce..4fd793d0 100644
--- a/backend/druks/database.py
+++ b/backend/druks/database.py
@@ -114,14 +114,14 @@ def create_async_engine_from_url(database_url: str):
     # it. The pool serves every concurrent run's steps plus request handling
     # at once: a modest steady pool, with overflow doing the burst work —
     # overflow connections open on demand and close on return, so the ceiling
-    # is high while idle cost is not. Ceiling 50 keeps the appliance (with
-    # DBOS's two engines at 20 each) inside Postgres's default 100 connections.
+    # is high while idle cost is not.
+    settings = load_settings()
     return create_async_engine(
         database_url,
         pool_pre_ping=True,
         pool_timeout=5,
-        pool_size=20,
-        max_overflow=30,
+        pool_size=settings.database_pool_size,
+        max_overflow=settings.database_max_overflow,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/backend/druks/durable/engine.py b/backend/druks/durable/engine.py
index 2afe3ce5..3a79d997 100644
--- a/backend/druks/durable/engine.py
+++ b/backend/druks/durable/engine.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ def init_dbos() -> None:
     config: DBOSConfig = {
         "name": "druks",
         "system_database_url": url,
+        "sys_db_pool_size": settings.dbos_pool_size,
         "dbos_system_schema": DBOS_SYSTEM_SCHEMA,
         "log_level": settings.log_level,
         # One constant application version. DBOS recovers only the runs whose version
diff --git a/backend/druks/settings.py b/backend/druks/settings.py
index 5292a5ef..a32c9f5a 100644
--- a/backend/druks/settings.py
+++ b/backend/druks/settings.py
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
         default="postgresql+psycopg://druks:druks@localhost:5432/druks",
         alias="DRUKS_DATABASE_URL",
     )
+    # SQLAlchemy reads a pool size of 0 as unbounded.
+    database_pool_size: int = Field(default=20, gt=0, alias="DRUKS_DATABASE_POOL_SIZE")
+    database_max_overflow: int = Field(default=30, ge=0, alias="DRUKS_DATABASE_MAX_OVERFLOW")
+    dbos_pool_size: int = Field(default=20, gt=0, alias="DRUKS_DBOS_POOL_SIZE")
 
     # Transport only — GitHub credentials live on the service-identity row,
     # not in Settings; this points every client at a compatible API endpoint.
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_settings.py b/backend/tests/test_settings.py
index 85e6ead7..0a1928e9 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
+from druks import database
+from druks.durable import engine as durable_engine
 from druks.settings import Settings, ensure_data_dirs
 from druks.testing import make_settings
 from pydantic import ValidationError
@@ -184,3 +186,20 @@ def test_development_example_pins_the_installation_timezone(tmp_path, monkeypatc
     monkeypatch.setenv("DRUKS_CONFIG", str(config))
     monkeypatch.setenv("TIMEZONE", "Asia/Tokyo")
     assert Settings(secrets={"secrets_key": _SECRETS_KEY}).timezone == "UTC"
+
+
+def test_pool_settings_reach_the_app_engine_and_dbos(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    settings = make_settings(
+        tmp_path, database_pool_size=3, database_max_overflow=4, dbos_pool_size=5
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(database, "load_settings", lambda: settings)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(durable_engine, "load_settings", lambda: settings)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(durable_engine, "_initialized", False)
+    configs = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(durable_engine, "DBOS", lambda config: configs.append(config))
+
+    pool = database.create_async_engine_from_url(settings.database_url).pool
+    durable_engine.init_dbos()
+
+    assert (pool.size(), pool._max_overflow) == (3, 4)
+    assert configs[0]["sys_db_pool_size"] == 5
diff --git a/deploy/compose.yaml b/deploy/compose.yaml
index 827756e3..fbaa447e 100644
--- a/deploy/compose.yaml
+++ b/deploy/compose.yaml
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ services:
         "--host",
         "${DRUKS_WEB_BIND_HOST:-127.0.0.1}",
         "--port",
-        "8001",
+        "${DRUKS_WEB_PORT:-8001}",
       ]
 
   drukbox:
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ services:
     network_mode: host
     environment:
       POSTGRES_USER: ${DRUKS_POSTGRES_USER:-druks}
-      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DRUKS_POSTGRES_PASSWORD:?set DRUKS_POSTGRES_PASSWORD in .env — druks setup generates one}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DRUKS_POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
       POSTGRES_DB: ${DRUKS_POSTGRES_DB:-druks}
     volumes:
       - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index a41cf572..2c146f98 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ rejects execution settings. The installation API rejects timezone changes.
 | Variable | Default | Purpose |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `DRUKS_DATABASE_URL` | local `druks` Postgres | Runtime and DBOS database |
+| `DRUKS_DATABASE_POOL_SIZE` | `20` | Connections each process keeps open for requests and workflow steps |
+| `DRUKS_DATABASE_MAX_OVERFLOW` | `30` | Extra connections each process opens under load and closes after use |
+| `DRUKS_DBOS_POOL_SIZE` | `20` | Connections each process keeps for DBOS |
 | `DRUKS_TEST_DATABASE_URL` | local `druks_test` Postgres | What the shipped pytest fixtures use — never the runtime's |
 | `DRUKS_TEST_REDIS_URL` | `redis://127.0.0.1:6379/15` | What the shipped pytest fixtures flush |
 | `DRUKS_REDIS_URL` | `redis://127.0.0.1:6379/0` | Short-lived coordination and caches |
@@ -138,6 +141,11 @@ rejects execution settings. The installation API rejects timezone changes.
 | `DRUKS_HARNESS_CONFIG_ROOT` | `~/.config/druks/harnesses` | Optional harness configuration copied into sandboxes |
 | `DRUKS_LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | Python and DBOS log level |
 
+Each Druks process can open up to `DRUKS_DATABASE_POOL_SIZE` +
+`DRUKS_DATABASE_MAX_OVERFLOW` + `DRUKS_DBOS_POOL_SIZE` + 1 Postgres connections.
+The extra connection is the DBOS notification listener. With the defaults, this
+is 71 of the 100 connections that Postgres allows by default.
+
 Postgres stores durable state. Redis does not store workflow state. It supports
 short-lived concerns including webhook delivery claims, OAuth state and token
 caches, and the sandbox provisioning gate.
@@ -181,8 +189,8 @@ order:
    can access Druks. Account values are case-insensitive.
 3. **JWT mode (`jwt`).** This mode uses the assertion channel from `header` mode, but
    its value is a signed JWT. Druks validates the RS256 signature against
-   `identity.jwks_url`. It caches keys for five minutes and gets new keys after
-   rotation.
+   `identity.jwks_url`. It caches keys for one hour. A token signed with an
+   unknown key ID makes Druks fetch the keys again at once.
 
    The `exp`, `iss`, and `aud` claims must match the configuration.
    Druks resolves `identity.jwt_identity_claim` in the verified payload and maps